Scottish universities

Six hundred years ago, before the first Scottish university was founded, students from Scotland went to Europe to study at Bologna, Paris and Leyden. But for the past five centuries the Scottish universities - St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh - have served their own small country, and students from all over the world, with a system of higher education based on that of older European centres. This film tells the story of the foundation and growth of these universities, and describes the difficulties which now confront them because of serious overcrowding. The problems of the students are also presented, particularly lack of funds and lack of suitable living accommodation.